Double circuit rotary switch



Dec. 28, 1937. c HOWARD 2,103,287

DOUBLE CIRCUIT ROTARY SWITCH Filed April 14, 1937 COMMON Cnecu/TA 6 INVENTOR.

CL A EENC'E 5.170 WAED A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES DOUBLE CIRCUIT ROTARY SWITCH Clarence B. Howard, Oakland, Calif., assignor to E. H. Kueffer Application April 14, 1937, Serial No. 136,710

4 Claims.

My invention relates to switches selectively energizing two circuits upon change of direction of rotation of a shaft. This invention is a, continuation in part of my prior application entitled, Rotary switch, Serial 1936.

In my prior application referred to above, I have described and claimed a rotary switch that will open and close a single circuit upon change of rotation of the actuating shaft thereof. There are, however, certain conditions where it is desirable to selectively open and close two circuits upon rotation of a shaft, and one of such cases is when such aswitch is utilized in conjunction with the steering gear of an automobile for the automatic signalling of a right or left turn. Under these circumstances it is desirable to have an indicator lamp which will light only when the turn is made in one direction, and another indicator lamp to light onlywhen the turn is made in the opposite direction. It is also highly desirable that at a central neutral point where the vehicle is proceeding straight ahead, no indication be given by either lamp.

Among the objects of the present invention are:

To provide a. switch selectively operating two separate circuits to indicate change in direction of rotation of an actuating shaft; to provide a simple and cheap rotary switch; to provide a rotary switch adapted for use with an automobile steering gear; and to provide a simple rotary switch selectively energizing separate signalling devices.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of the invention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view partly in elevation of the switch of my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the driving disc side of the switch shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the contact disc assembly with the metal and insulating parts separated. 1

Figure 4 is a similar view of the driving disc with the metal and insulating parts separated.

Figure 5 is a face view of the clutch disc taken as indicated by the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a' face view of the contact disc assembly taken as indicated by the line 6-6 in Figure 1.

No. 98,657, filed August 31,

. as the brushes are.

My invention may be more fully understood by direct reference to the drawing.

In Figure 1 a switch shaft l is provided, and this shaft may be attached in any convenient manner to the shaft which changes its direction 5 of rotation. Mounted on the shaft l is a contact disc 2 of insulating material. This disc 2, is slipped over the shaft and bears against a retaining sleeve 4, fixed solidly to the shaft. The insulating contact disc 2 is free to rotate on the 1 shaft. A metal contact plate 3 is provided in the form of a disc having a large central aperture 4' so that this disc will not touch the shaft l This contact plate is fastened to one face of the insulating disc 2, and has a pair of peripheral contacts 5 fitting into notches 6 on the periphery of the contact disc. The relationship of the contact disc and the contact plate is shown in Figure 3. .Brushes I and 8 are mounted on any convenient foundation, such as a case or end plate 9 on the device, and extend to contact the periphery of the contact disc at opposite points thereon. By providing an aperture ill in the contact disc, and positioning therein a. stop pin ll fastened to any convenient foundation, such as end plate 9, the arc of rotation of the contact disc canbe limited to a predetermined distance, irrespective of the amountof rotation of the shaft I. The relationship of the brushes 1 and 8 to the peripheral contacts 5 is shown clearly in Figwe 6. It will be noticed that I have shown the contacts 5 as being offset on the periphery so that they are not diametrically opposite, where- Under these circumstances, then, at each end of the arc of rotation only one brush 1 or 8 will be in contact with one of the contacts 5. It is obvious, however, that the contacts 5 may be placed diametrically opposite and the brushes offset, and the same result obtained.

In order that the disc 2 may be frictionally' 40 rotated when the shaft I is being rotated, I provide a separate driving disc I2 of insulating material mounted on the shaft I and adjacent the contact disc 2 on the side bearing the contact plate 3. This disc is solidly attached to a driving sleeve l4 fastened to the shaft 1. Driving disc i2 is provided with a cup-shaped metal clutch plate l5 having a turned over periphery l6, a notch [1 being cut into the plate and periphery along a predetermined arc. The driving disc I2 is provided with a raised portion l 9 completing the arc in the periphery IS in the turned over edge of the clutch plate, thus providing a continuous periphery, the greater portion of which is metal,

with a short are of insulating material. v 5

I prefer to extend toward tha contact plate 3 from clutch plate l5, tangential driving brushes 20. These brushes are turned outwardly to contact the metal portion of contact plate 3, and are turned out sufiiciently so that when the two discs are assembled on the shaft and held in position by sleeves 3 and til the brushes will exert pressure against disc 2. This provides a friction clutch whereby disc 2 is rotated within its arc of rotation by the contact friction of the brushes. Inasmuch as the tangential brushes 2d are metal and contact the metal portion of contact plates 3, it is obvious that when either one of the contacts 5 on disc assembly 2-3 are in contact with either brush i or 8 that the periphery it of the clutch plate is directly connected to that particular brush through the driving brushes.

I then provide a common brush 2!, bearin on the periphery it or on the raised portion it of clutch disc l2 when the clutch disc is rotating. I adjust the position of the common brush it so that when shaft l is in a predetermined neutral position the common brush 2!! is in the center of the insulated raised portion is, and thus no circuit will be made through the switch irrespective of contacts between brushes l and 8 and rotating contacts 5. However, when the shaft I is rotated either to the right or left of this neutral position, the first thing that happens is that the contact disc 2 is rotated by the driving brushes to the end of its arc, thus making contact between one of the contacts 5 and one only of the brushes .l and 8. Further rotation of the shaft i moves the clutch disc i2 with the driving brushes slipping, until the common brush 2!. bears upon the periphery lt'of the clutch plate, thus completing a circuit through the switch. At any time thereafter when the direction of rotation of shaft 5 is changed, contact disc 2 willimmediately rotate to the other end of its arc of rotation and stop, thus reversing the relative position of the brushes 1 and 8 with relation to contacts 5, thereby completing the other circuit. When, however, shaft I comes back again within the predetermined neutral arc, the common brush passes-over on to the insulated raised portion [19 and no contact will be made through the switch. 1 l Thus, I am able by means of this switch, to, selectively close indicator circuits A and B, and at the same time provide a neutral arc of rotation of the shaft i where neither circuit A nor circuit B will be energized.

While my invention is particularly applicable to the automatic indication of the change in direc tion of a vehicle when attached to the steering gear, it is obvious that its uses are widespread and will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. A rotary switch comprising a shaft to be rotated, a contact disc of insulating material free to rotate on said shaft, stop means for limiting the rotation of said disc to a limited arc, a pair of segmental contacts on the periphery of said disc and joined by a collector ring, a pair of circuit brushes bearing against said periphery and so spaced with relation to said segmental contacts that only one of said brushes will be in-contact is on said interrupted portion.

aioaae-r with said segmental contacts at each end of the arc of rotation of said disc, a collector brush bearing against said ring, said latter brush being rotatable by said shaft and thereby rotating said disc by friction.

2. A rotary switch comprising a shaft to be rotated, a contact disc of insulating material free to rotate on said shaft, stop means for limiting the rotation of said disc to a limited arc, a pair of segmental contacts on the periphery of said disc and joined by a collector ring, a pair of circuit brushes bearing against said periphery and so -spaced with relation to said segmental contacts that only one of said brushes will be in contact with said segmental contacts at each end of the arc of rotation of said disc, a driven disc of into rotate on said shaft, stop means for limiting the rotation of said disc to a limited arc, a pair of segmental contacts on the periphery of said disc and joined by a collector ring, a pair of circuit brushes bearing against said periphery and so spaced with relation to said segmental contacts that only one of said brushes will be in contact with said segmental contacts at each end of the arc of'rotation of said disc, a driven disc of insulating material rotated by said shaft, a col-' lector brush mounted on said driven disc and exerting pressure against said collector ring to rotate said contact disc by friction, a peripheral contact on said driven disc, said peripheral contact being interrupted over a predetermined arc of said periphery, and a common circuit brush bearin on the periphery of said driven disc. 4. A rotary switch comprising a shaft to be rotated, a contact disc of insulatingv material free to rotate on said shaft, stop means for limiting the rotation of said disc to a limited arc, a

pair of segmental contacts on the periphery of exerting pressure against said collector ring to rotate said contact disc by friction, a peripheral contact on said driven disc, said peripheral contact being interrupted over a predetermined arc of said periphery, and a common circuit brush bearing on the periphery of said driven disc, said interrupter portion of said peripheral contact being spaced with relation to the two segmental contacts and said stop means so that no circuit can be established between said common brush and either circuit brush when said common brush CLARENCE B. HOWARD. 

